Lauren Turgeon
EDC 102H
Professor Fogleman
16 September 2009 Personal Learning Statement Essay
Up until my high school graduation, I went to schools all in the same small public school district. While I did not always enjoy attending, I was always glad that I stayed in the public school system. I went through elementary, middle and high school with the same students in the same town and although I always received good grades throughout those twelve years, I left feeling unprepared for the “real world”. Overall, I feel that my most important lessons have been through social interactions present in the school environment and not in any of the general course matter we are forced to cover.
Growing up I was often shy around new people and in new situations but while in elementary school it was never apparent. I always had passionate teachers who inspired me to not only learn but to become a teacher one day myself. I was creative, enthusiastic, and opinionated in school until I was older and it was no longer "cool" to like school. Other students started to give me a hard time for being too ‘smart’. In reality I was never especially smart, I just worked very hard. No one realized how much effort I put into attain good grades; homework until bed, no television, and few friends. I was patronized for getting good grades and teased if I answered a question wrong. I quickly learned that to avoid teasing it was better to not speak at all and first time my shyness consumed me. To this day I still feel uncomfortable speaking up in class. For the first time I hated school.
By high school my teachers and fellow students had made it quite clear that little of what we were learning was applicable to our future. We learned what the administration said was necessary, and teachers did not care if we completed our work or not because either way the teachers would still get their paycheck. I had few teachers who seemed to care about the subjects they taught and with this attitude it was hard as a student to enjoy doing any of the work. I never understood why I had to write certain essays or slave over certain essays if they did not matter. I was unable to find satisfaction with school until I became really involved with my school’s chorus.
Although no great singer, I thrived in an environment that allowed creativity and started to build up my confidence. By senior year I was the chorus president and was able to speak during concerts and give short speeches in class with relative ease. My new found confidence and excitement about school started to carry into my other classes. When I had the courage to speak up in class and add my opinion to other classmates, I found most teachers to be receptive and excited that more students were getting involved in class. Through my involvement in chorus and a few excellent teachers during my senior year I started to regain my enjoyment of school.
While I started to become more excited about learning in high school, college was definitely a shock to my system. I quickly learned how little I had really learned in high school. However, now that I had the freedom to choose classes I was interested in I was not disheartened. More importantly, I was in an environment with other people who also wanted to learn. My roommates and I would perpetually discuss our ideas and opinions and I learned more in those late night discussions then I have learned in almost any class I have ever taken. I had forgotten what it had been like to enjoy learning, and to learn for the sake of learning. While good grades are certainly a great thing to achieve it does not necessarily make a person intelligent; the most rewarding lessons I have learned from years of schooling are those of hard work, diligence, and the validity of my own opinions.
EDC 102H
Professor Fogleman
16 September 2009
Personal Learning Statement Essay
Up until my high school graduation, I went to schools all in the same small public school district. While I did not always enjoy attending, I was always glad that I stayed in the public school system. I went through elementary, middle and high school with the same students in the same town and although I always received good grades throughout those twelve years, I left feeling unprepared for the “real world”. Overall, I feel that my most important lessons have been through social interactions present in the school environment and not in any of the general course matter we are forced to cover.
Growing up I was often shy around new people and in new situations but while in elementary school it was never apparent. I always had passionate teachers who inspired me to not only learn but to become a teacher one day myself. I was creative, enthusiastic, and opinionated in school until I was older and it was no longer "cool" to like school. Other students started to give me a hard time for being too ‘smart’. In reality I was never especially smart, I just worked very hard. No one realized how much effort I put into attain good grades; homework until bed, no television, and few friends. I was patronized for getting good grades and teased if I answered a question wrong. I quickly learned that to avoid teasing it was better to not speak at all and first time my shyness consumed me. To this day I still feel uncomfortable speaking up in class. For the first time I hated school.
By high school my teachers and fellow students had made it quite clear that little of what we were learning was applicable to our future. We learned what the administration said was necessary, and teachers did not care if we completed our work or not because either way the teachers would still get their paycheck. I had few teachers who seemed to care about the subjects they taught and with this attitude it was hard as a student to enjoy doing any of the work. I never understood why I had to write certain essays or slave over certain essays if they did not matter. I was unable to find satisfaction with school until I became really involved with my school’s chorus.
Although no great singer, I thrived in an environment that allowed creativity and started to build up my confidence. By senior year I was the chorus president and was able to speak during concerts and give short speeches in class with relative ease. My new found confidence and excitement about school started to carry into my other classes. When I had the courage to speak up in class and add my opinion to other classmates, I found most teachers to be receptive and excited that more students were getting involved in class. Through my involvement in chorus and a few excellent teachers during my senior year I started to regain my enjoyment of school.
While I started to become more excited about learning in high school, college was definitely a shock to my system. I quickly learned how little I had really learned in high school. However, now that I had the freedom to choose classes I was interested in I was not disheartened. More importantly, I was in an environment with other people who also wanted to learn. My roommates and I would perpetually discuss our ideas and opinions and I learned more in those late night discussions then I have learned in almost any class I have ever taken. I had forgotten what it had been like to enjoy learning, and to learn for the sake of learning. While good grades are certainly a great thing to achieve it does not necessarily make a person intelligent; the most rewarding lessons I have learned from years of schooling are those of hard work, diligence, and the validity of my own opinions.